Benfica midfielder Pablo Aimar insists his side will not be expecting an easy ride against Celtic in the Champions League despite their sorry league form.
Midfielder says Benfica are expecting dangerous encounter
Benfica midfielder Pablo Aimar insists his side will not be expecting an easy ride against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League despite their sorry league form.
The Hoops currently sit fifth in the Scottish Premier League table after claiming just one point from their last two domestic encounters.
But 32-year-old Aimar believes Neil Lennon's side will shrug off that blip for Wednesday night's Group G opener at Parkhead.
He told the
Daily Record: "Celtic have failed to win in the league for the past two weeks but I don't expect that to have an influence on what happens on Wednesday.
"Celtic always change their level, especially at home in the Champions League, and I expect them to be far more dangerous when they play us."
Better side
Despite expecting Celtic to go up a gear on Wednesday night, Aimar is confident Benfica can get their European campaign underway with a win in Glasgow.
He added: "The players have calculated the numbers for this phase and a defeat against Celtic isn't in our calculations.
"We're convinced we can win in Scotland. We're technically a better side than Celtic and we're going there for a victory.
"The key for us is to score the first goal. If we can get ahead early they will suffer some nerves which would allow us to create more chances.
"I'm expecting an intense match but we have shown we can play to a good level in Europe."
